


Burn For You

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic 2019 [74]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alien Rituals, First Kiss, M/M, Mission Fic, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:00:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21617806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: LJ Comment Fic for Titles prompt:Any, any m/m, Blue FlameIn which Evan joins most of AR-1 on a mission in John's stead, and things go terribly awry.
Relationships: Evan Lorne/Rodney McKay
Series: Bite Sized Fic 2019 [74]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1250552
Comments: 24
Kudos: 51
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2019





	Burn For You

Rodney desperately wanted to close his eyes, wanted to look away, but he couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Not when it was his fault. 

He’d insisted on the mission, even though Sheppard was on stand-down thanks to a nasty cold. Major Lorne had volunteered, just as he’d done when the villagers insisted on the trial by fire for Rodney before they’d hand over their treasured artefact.

A literal fire, as it turned out. Lorne was engulfed in a column of bright blue flame, head thrown back and mouth open, though if he was screaming Rodney couldn’t hear it. It felt cowardly to be glad of that.

“He’s not burning,” Ronon said.

“What?”

“Look at his skin.”

There was plenty of it on display; the villagers had made him strip down to his boxer briefs. Ronon was right. Whatever pain Lorne may have been experiencing, it wasn’t leaving any outward marks on his body. His hair wasn’t smoldering, his skin wasn’t blistering and blackening.

“Surely he has proven himself,” Teyla said. Her voice held an edge that Rodney rarely heard, the only sign of how angry she was.

The village elders held a whispered conference before agreeing that Major Lorne had indeed completed the trial successfully in Rodney’s stead, and that Rodney could have the Ancient artefact he’d come to collect. Which was less an artefact and more a user’s manual on the recharging of ZedPMs.

It was a priceless find. And at the moment Rodney couldn’t have cared less about it.

The fire flickered out and Lorne would’ve collapsed if Rodney and Ronon hadn’t been there to catch him. His skin was a little warm to the touch, as if he’d been standing out in the sun for a while, and his breath was coming in short gasps.

“Is he okay?” Rodney asked anxiously. Lorne was on his back on the grass, hands still curled into fists. “He looks okay, but maybe the fire was like a microwave and cooked him from the inside.”

Ronon gave him a disapproving look before giving Lorne a careful once-over. As the team’s field medic he was able to assess and treat minor injuries. Which was hopefully all Lorne had.

Behind them, Teyla was accepting the artefact from the villagers with all due solemnity. She never forgot the need for diplomacy and negotiation, even with people who tried to set other people on fire. Rodney would’ve punched them each in their stupid faces given half the chance.

“Major?” Ronon put a hand on Lorne’s bare chest. “Can you tell me if you’re in any pain?”

“Of course he’s in pain!” Rodney sputtered. “They just tried to burn him alive!”

“’S okay, Doc,” Lorne gasped. “Just need to…catch my…breath.”

Rodney patted Lorne’s arm awkwardly. “Well, you shouldn’t have done that. It was foolhardy, jumping in and agreeing to something when you didn’t know what they would do. What if that fire had burned you? Honestly, what is it with you flyboys and your insistence on making suicidal decisions before you have all the facts? You and Sheppard are two peas in a very dysfunctional pod, and I’ll tell you something else, you don’t –”

“Rodney.” Teyla’s hand on his shoulder brought his tirade to a stuttering halt. “We should go.”

He looked up at her, and the slim black box she held in her other hand, then back down at Lorne. The Major was looking back at him, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. Rodney flushed when he realized that he was holding Lorne’s hand, which was no longer clenched in a fist. When had that happened?

“Can you walk?” Ronon asked. “I can carry you.”

“I appreciate the offer. But no.”

Ronon and Rodney helped Lorne to his feet. He was a little shaky, but insisted he was fine for the short walk back to the Gate once he’d gotten dressed.

Rodney took up the rear, covering Lorne’s six the way Sheppard always covered his when they were offworld. He didn’t give the artefact another thought until they were safely back in Atlantis and Lorne had been carted off to the infirmary.

*o*o*o*

“Doc. Wake up.”

Rodney jerked awake, immediately hissing at the painful crick in his neck. He’d fallen asleep in his lab again. The artefact was interfacing with his laptop, the information contained inside it being downloaded, translated, and flagged for keywords. All of which was automated and had not required Rodney’s direct attention.

“What time is it?” he asked. He stuck a finger in his coffee cup. Cold. Damn.

“Well past time for you to be in bed,” Lorne replied.

“Why aren’t _you_ in bed? Surely Carson wanted to keep you for observation.”

Lorne shrugged, but he had an odd look on his face. It was like the expression he had whenever he brought Rodney a fresh cup of coffee, or something he’d baked, only magnified by the power of ten. Desire, Rodney would’ve said if Evan had been looking at anyone else but him.

“Like I said, I’m okay.”

“Oh. Well, so am I.”

Lorne tugged him out of his chair despite his protests. “The program is working on its own. You can check it in the morning.”

“No need to be so heavy-handed about it!” Rodney protested. Although if he was being honest, having Lorne’s hands on him wasn’t exactly a turn-off. Lorne brought him coffee and food a lot, so he’d had plenty of time to admire the man’s dark good looks and well-placed dimples.

“I think you’ll find I have very soft hands,” Lorne said, his voice hushed and somehow husky.

“I didn’t –” Whatever Rodney had been about to say was lost when Lorne’s hand cradled the side of his face, thumb running lightly over Rodney’s cheekbone. “Major?”

“Evan,” Lorne corrected. 

He leaned in slowly enough to give Rodney the chance to protest, which of course he didn’t because he wasn’t that stupid. And then they were kissing, and Lorne’s – Evan’s – lips were as soft as his hands. 

The kiss was fairly chaste, but Rodney still felt a bit out of breath when Evan pulled back.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted out. “For what happened today. For the fire.”

“Don’t be,” Evan replied. 

Just before he leaned back in for another kiss, Rodney swore he saw bright blue licks of flame dancing in Evan’s eyes.


End file.
